This volume provides a concise and easy-to-use reference on the nature of oils and fats for those working in the food industry and for those in the media seeking to advise the public on consumption. Written in a style that makes the concepts and information contained easily accessible, and using a minimum of chemical structures, the nature and composition of the constituents of oils and fats are explained. The major sources of food lipids (vegetable and animal fats) are outlined, along with their physical characteristics. The book also focuses on the current main concerns of the food industry regarding oils and fats use, including: the nutritional properties of fats and oils and their various components; links between chemical structure and physiological properties; and the role of lipids in some of the more important disease conditions such as obesity, diabetes, coronary heart disease and cancer. The final chapter is devoted to a description of the most common food uses of oils and fats.

The book will be of interest to food industry professionals, students or others who require a working knowledge of oils and fats in the food industry.